All of us have addictions, but do we realize it? When I say addictions, I’m not talking only about substances (like drugs, nicotine or alcohol), I’m also talking about addictions to actions (like playing video games, watching movies or reading books) and addictions to certain people.

I think that, in essence, addictions are ways to briefly escape the cruel reality. All of us have problems and all of us need a break from those problems, but how can we achieve that? We can do that by keeping our minds busy with something else, which will create a feeling that our problems don’t exist anymore. Having a substances addiction is the easiest way to achieve the relief we’re all looking for because their effect is from the body to the mind, while all other addictions have an influence from the mind to the body.

Video games and movies are so popular because they can successfully take us from our reality. This way, we can all have access to alternative realities much more interesting than ours. Each movie can get you to a different reality while video games can give you different powers and you can do whatever you want. That way, your mind is busy and you totally forget about your real world and you are free from it. The feeling you get from that alternative reality is so great that you want more. Isn’t that what an addiction is all about?

Addiction to people is the hardest, in my opinion. That’s because people are unique and different and when you get to know someone and you get addicted to that person, you might not find another one exactly like that in the whole wide world. Why do you think that getting over someone is that hard? It’s because you feel that you might not find anyone like that. You’ll find similar people, but not identical (sometimes it’s a good thing). When you get to know someone and have great time with that person, you’ll forget about your problems, or at least, they won’t matter anymore and if that person disappears from your life, all your problems seems to intensify.

Getting over addictions is hard because most of the time an addiction creates another one. For example, you can get over someone by starting to drink, or you can stop smoking by starting to chew gum. The hardest part for us is to choose the right addiction. A right addiction might be one that is not hurting your body or your social status.

Always living in the future might be an addiction because we’re having strong feelings about things that might happen, but this is a problem for another day.

Sometimes. When you’re addicted to a person it’s hard because you can have an emotional connection with them. One thing u need to break an addiction though is self-control. I believe that’s a virtue that all of us have to master. It’s definitely something I need to work on.

Yes, I agree. Games, people, internet, phones, and yes books are definitely addictions. I have dealt with substance type addictions since I was young. Having a really dysfunctional family full of alcoholics and or substances like pills were a common theme for me growing up. That is putting it very lightly. My first addiction was sucking my thumb. I did not quit until I was 8. At that time I was introduced to cigarettes and how to inhale them. I replaced the thumb habit with a cigarette habit. Obviously, I had many traumas growing up, from my family being all addicts and all of the awful crap that comes with that kind of life, and was trying to feel a sense of security with the thumb sucking. I discovered books young and used them to escape them all. (traumas). In the words of the awesome Blind Melon song called “Rain”. “I read a book to stay awake. It rips my life away but its a great escape.” Thanks for the post. It was good and no I am not making excuses. I am accountable for my addictions now. I was not as a kid and wanted to explain why I made those bad choices.

I have been an opiate addict, benzoid addict, abused weed for twenty years, and got drunk 2-3 times a week when I didnt have the meds because I could not deal with the withdrawl. I finally hit my lowest three years ago and was put on suboxone. I used it to quit everything plus I never abused suboxone(not sure if it is abused but I guess one could abuse anything) I had been on benzoids for so long that when I quit those I was having severe heart problems( along with panic attacks) i had to be put on betablockers, so you ask me as of today what am I addicted too? Well, I do not abuse drugs anymore. I finally bucked up and faced my childhood and all the fd up stuff 3 years ago when I quit.In rehab I remember being told that I am one of the hardest “type” of addicts to get off drugs. I had been using them to escape decades of abuse and a lifetime of anxiety and social anxiety and exteremly introverted. I was told I did not have a high successful rate in my “group of addicts” . I used that to push myself to face my demons. I owed it to my mother and father in law. I moved in with my best friend at 17. I finally got out of that madness! I was showed love and given love so much acceptance and love. I do not know where or who I would be. i was on the speaker phone with my real mom and my husband(boyfriend at 17) well his father overheard me being told to get home to give a blowjob to my stepdad. He cried. that man cried and so did his mother. they never let me go back and I never looked back. Sorry, I said a lot more than intended and I think i jumped all over the place. Even though as an adult I got to have a good healthy sober famly. They were poor but let me tell you they were like angels.I got to have 13 awesome years with them. I was having kids and they taught me how to give and receive love. They both died three weeks apart in 2013. So, yeah I owed it to them and my children and husband to face my ghosts and demons. I am still on suboxone, still in therapy, still take betablockers, and still addicted to nicotine 😦
I hope to help people with my writing one day. Thanks for your question and sorry if I was all over the place with my story

There are not enough words to describe how sorry I am for the life you had to have. It seems to be no escape and no hope when chaos reigns, but you pushed it through and you found your way. I think that you probably couldn’t cope with that life without those addictions so it was somehow helpful for you. As for your writings, I’m sure you’ll touch lives because people that face similar situations need to see and hear that there is hope! That there is a way!